Interrupted thread type, slidable jaw wrench



2,699,699 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 INTERRUPTED THREAD TYPE, SLIDABLE JAWWRENCH Eddie C. Christopherson, Newport, Wash, assignor of fifty percent to William F. Killgore, Arcadia, La.

Application December 15, 1952, Serial No. 326,015 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-160)This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in wrenches, particularly pipe wrenches, and the principalobject of the invention is to provide a means whereby a wrench of thistype may be quickly and easily adjusted as to size or opening betweenthe jaws thereof.

The above object is achieved by providing the customary threaded shankof the wrench with flat and unthreaded faces which are registerable withrecesses in an actuating nut to permit the shank to slide until the nutis rotated to a position wherein the threads thereof engage the threadsof the shank and lock the latter against slidmg.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of meansfor locking the actuating nut against rotation, while another feature ofthe invention resides in the provision of resilient stop means forpreventing the shank from being withdrawn from the handle of the wrench.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its efiicient and expeditious operation and in itsadaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features that may become apparent as thisspecification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of theconstruction and ar rangement of parts as shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the invention, the samebeing shown partly in section to reveal its construction;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially on theplane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1 and illustrating the actuating nut inits initial, locked position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, similar to that shown in Figure 2, butillustrating the actuating nut in its ultimate, unlocked position; and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the shank and coacting jaw used inthe invention, this view being taken in the direction of the arrow 4 inFigure 1 Like characters of reference are employed to designate likeparts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention isembodied in a pipe wrench which is designated generally by the referencecharacter and comprises a handle 12 including a stationary inner aw 14and a laterally projecting protuberance or sleeve 16, the latter beingformed with an open ended bore 18 and with an opening or recess 20intermediate the ends of the bore 18, as will be clearly understood.

The customary coacting outer jaw 22 is formed integrally with a shank 24which is of an elongated, rectangular cross-section and is provided withscrew threads However, these screw threads are interrupted by a pair offlat, unthreaded side surfaces 28 of the shank, as is best shown inFigures 2 and 3.

A knurled, cylindrical locking nut 30 is disposed in the recess 20 andwhen the screw threads of this n ut engage the threads 26 of the shank24 (as shown in Figure 2), the shank is prevented from sliding in thebore 18 in which it is positioned.

However, the nut 30 is formed with a pair of recessed, unthreadedportions 32 which slidably receive therein the threaded side surfaces 26of the shank 24 when the nut 30 is rotated through approximately degreesto the position shown in Figure 3. In this position, the shank 24 isfree to slide in the bore 18 to quickly and gzisily adjust the spacingbetween the wrench jaws 14,

It is to be noted that the threads 26 of the shank 24 are beveled asindicated at 34 in Figures 1 and 4, so that the threaded portions of thenut 30 may be easily engaged therewith, when the nut is rotated to itslocked positlon.

Means is provided for locking the nut 30 against rotation, said meansincluding detent or keeper pin 36 which is slidably disposed in a bore38 in the handle 12 and is pressed by a compression spring 40 into therecess 20 so spring 40 abuts a plug 42 nut 30 is provided in the outersurface thereof with a pair of circumferentially spaced keeper seats orsockets 44 to selectively receive the projecting portion of the keeperpin 36 when the nut is either in its operative or in its inoperativeposition. The nut 30 is also provided with a smooth groove 46 whichextends circumferentially between the keeper seats 44 and provides atrack for the keeper pin 36 while the nut is being rotated from oneposition to the other. Of course, the seats 44 are deeper than thegroove: 46 so as to sustain the nut against rotation when the keeper pinis disposed therein.

The shank 24 is preferably inscribed at one side thereof with a scale 50which is preferably graduated so as to correspond to the spacing betweenthe wrench jaws 14, 22, whereby the size of opening of the wrench may bereadily determined.

Means is also provided for preventing the shank 24 from being withdrawnfrom the bore 18, this means consisting of a headed screw 52 which ismounted at the free end of the shank and carries a washer 54 pressed bya spring 56. Under normal conditions, the washer 54 abuts the adjacentend of the shank 24, but when the shank is slid in an upward directionas shown in Figure 1, the washer 54 will come in abutment with theprotuberance or portion 16 of the handle 12 so as to prevent the shankfrom being withdrawn from the bore 18. The spring 56 will permit thewasher 54 to yield to some extent, so as to eliminate excessive impactor shock.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly understood from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly,further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A pipe wrench comprising: a handle, a stationary inner jaw on one end ofsaid handle, a longitudinal sleeve on the handle, a shank mounted forsliding adjustment in said sleeve, an outer jaw on one end of the shankcooperable with the inner jaw, means for adjusting the shank, a headedscrew threadedly mounted longitudinally in the other end of the shank, awasher slidably mounted on the screw and engageable with the sleeve, anda coil spring on the screw between the head thereof and the washer, saidscrew, washer and spring constituting adjustable stop means engageablewith the sleeve for yieldingly limiting sliding movement of the shank inone direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS992,127 Hachmann May 9, 1911 1,194,612 Fjerdingstad Aug. 15, 19161,388,005 Smith Aug. 16, 1921 1,425,415 Partin Aug. 8, 1922 1,652,355Hammer Dec. 13, 1927 2,538,176 Tuepker Jan. 16, 1951

